The Exes
by Fireworks8725
Summary: Jesse misses Rachel so much, but she is with Finn now. On a school trip Jesse and Quinn think up the perfect plan, based on people who always want what they cannot have. It's time for revenge of the exes. Set around season 1. JessexQuinn/JessexRachel


_**[Originally wrote this back in Season 1, so just imagine as if Rachel never went off to New York, and that they were all there for another year. Let me know what you think-I do have ideas for this story as I am not a big fan of where the show has been going lately. I'll continue if enough people are interested in reading! Thanks!]**_

Jesse St. James skipped down the steps of the library with some music books in his hand. He always walked fast everywhere he went. This time was no exception. He had to walk past McKinley High on his way home. That place had nothing but nightmares for him lately. He had transferred there as a student briefly the year before. He joined the Glee club…even had a girlfriend. Rachel Berry. He couldn't come to grips with the fact they were really over. She was like an addiction, something that coursed through his veins daily. Something he couldn't soothe. The ache in him kept burning, but he kept it all to himself. They hadn't spoken since he transferred out…back to Vocal Adrenaline...where he belonged.

He remembered the day he went back to his old school…they day they called him a traitor and made him prove himself by egging his love, Rachel. So he did. They all ganged up on her in the McKinley parking lot and doused her in eggs. She was so hurt, but so was he. He knew she was never really his. Not while Finn was there flirting with her all hours and wanting her just as bad as he did. Did he not have enough? Star quarterback could have anyone he wanted, even his ex-Quinn, if he really wanted. But no, you always want what you can't have.

That was the case now also, he realized. Now that Finn had her, he wanted her. Wanted things to be like they were before…

He ran past McKinley now at full speed, practically shielding his face with his music books. He wanted to spit on the ground as he walked; the ground that cursed him with memories of her and an incredible loathing for football players.

He spotted some action by the bleachers and couldn't help his wandering eye…there was a boy in a wheelchair. He recognized him from the Glee club, Artie. He shrugged it off, wanting to ignore anything that reminded him of that time, but he realized something didn't quite add up. Artie didn't seem to be wearing shoes.

Jesse cocked his eyebrow and slowly walked towards Artie, ready to dash at any moment. Artie seemed frantic and to be looking up at something. Sure enough Jesse could see Artie's shoes tied up by the laces to a far point at the top of the bleachers. He sighed.

"Hey man." He said to Artie and approached him.

"Oh, hey Jesse, what brings your around our neck of the woods?" Artie replied, ignoring the fact he was in distress not a moment before, hoping Jesse didn't note he needed assistance. Artie was always trying to prove that he could handle things himself…trying to not be so dependant on other people anyways. This was embarrassing enough. Those dumb jocks.

"I'm just on my way home. Hey man, you need me to go get those for you?" Jesse asked, referring to the shoes above their heads.

"Oh…you noticed that….you don't have to. No big deal." Artie shrugged.

"I want to." Jesse said and climbed up the bleacher steps and untied Arties' shoes, which then fell to the ground beside Artie.

"Thanks man. I appreciate it. How have things been going for you back with your glee group?" Artie asked.

"Oh you know…some old." Jesse forced a laugh, "Take care." He nodded and headed back on his way.

Men are of so few words.

Jesse was relieved when he opened the door to his bedroom and tossed himself onto his bed. He wanted to scream into his pillows. He looked up at his mirror where a picture of Rachel was tacked to the side. He sighed loudly and rolled over into his pillows to muffle his sadness.

X.x.x.

Rachel Berry was the perfect student, the perfect everything. In her eyes, she could do no wrong. She ran into school the next morning with her usual knee high polka dotted blue and white socks with a headband to match. She met up with Finn at her locker and they shared a brief chaste kiss.

"Are we still on for Breadstix tonight?" Rachel asked in an enthusiastic chirp.

"Sure, definitely, absolutely." Finn said, in a mopey way, as if he had just woken up and was coffee deprived on top of that. He was not known for his incredible enthusiasm. Rachel took his answer as acceptable.

"Now, I know Mr. Shue is gone for a few days and we don't exactly have an assignment for Glee, but I was hoping we could still work on something. You know, make sure we don't get lazy or complacent. Laziness does not win competitions. Maybe a good theme could be…motivation. I think it'll be great. What do you think?" Rachel asked, using many emphatic arm and hand gestures.

"Sure Rachel. I think it'd be nice to take a small break from Glee though…I do also have football you know?" Finn stated.

"I know that Finn, I just thought that this would be good for us, to maintain a strong healthy committed relationship."

"You don't have to control and orchestrate everything in your life." Finn said as he closed his locker. "I love you, but just calm down okay?" He suggested.

He kissed the top of her forehead and walked towards his morning class.

Rachel had a shocked look on her face, but composed herself and spun on her heel to her class with a smile on. Until of course it came in contact with a blue slushy.

The jock laughed and walked away high fiving his friend. "Berry flavored for Rachel Berry." He thought he was so clever.

Rachel headed for the washroom instead of her homeroom. Another day in paradise.

x.x.x

At that same moment, Jesse was in his own classes at his own school. He was sitting in the back on a math classroom with three girls on either side of him, fawning. He yawned despite himself. Image was everything, he knew that.

"Jesse?" The teacher said, annoyed.

"Oh, what was that Mrs. Harris?" Jesse straightened up in his seat.

"I've asked you three times now Jesse St. James. Can you explain the Pythagorean Theorem to the class please?" She repeated herself.

"Um, well, it only works on right angled triangles?" He stated, trying to remember his homework. It was hard because of the photo of Rachel attached to his mirror. The mirror happened to be on his work desk.

"Good, Jesse. Now, Lily, anything else about the theorem?" Mrs. Harris asked, moving onto a different student.

"The actual theory is that in a right angled triangle the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides." Lily stated smarmily. Jesse realized that was the answer he was supposed to have given, and cursed himself for letting Rachel ruin his academic life also.

"Now class, remember because of tomorrow's history class field trip this class will not be in your schedule, so you have an extra day to work on your assignments." Mrs. Harris said.

Jesse remembered that tomorrow three high schools in the Lima area had an annual History trip together to view new museum exhibits. It used to be something he looked forward to…now he was just dreading the thought of running into Rachel…


End file.
